BUBBLE GUM ALLEY

BUBBLE GUM ALLEY!!! SAY, WHAT! This may sound crazy but those that know go to the famous or infamous, depending on your yucky gauge, Bubble Gum Alley located on Higuera Street, around 735 Higuera Street, north of Mother's Tavern. Chew that wad of tasty gum and finish it off with a two finger stick on the wall and to ensure it's destiny of being stuck on the wall, get it as high as your can. Remember your claim to fame on this local landmark and return to see it once again.

The first one to put gum on the wall is not quite clear, but since I can remember seeing it for the first time in 1961, I have witnessed many a bubble gum fancier place their mark on this 12 foot high by 70 foot long alley. Both sides are filled and refilled and gum upon gum is layered in many colors and pattern. High Schools leave their school colors in gum while University students leave their mark with Fraternity and Sorority Greek Letters made of chewed up gum by each member adding to the total design. Try not to be turned off by the sound or even the look of this alley but look at it as a local phenomenon and art.

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Singles

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Bubblegum Alley

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Bubblegum Alley is one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. Tens of thousands of pieces of used bubblegum squished onto the walls of this narrow alley make me wonder what kind of germs are meeting and mutating ready to leap onto unsuspecting passersby. Even worse than the gum are some of the other odds and ends hanging on the wall such as condoms...yuck.

Some of the gum is just stuck on the wall at random, while much of it says a short message or even could be considered art. Some people use gum to hang notes or even coins, other write their fraternity letters, and other draw American flags or martini glasses.

Overall, its fascinating but disgusting!

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Bubble Gum Alley in downtown SLO

This is an alleyway in San Luis Obispo with gum covering the walls on both sides. There are messages written on the wall, artwork, and miscellaneous debris that people have left. It's mainly just a tourist attraction, and I remember coming down Bubble Gum Alley as a tourist before I lived here. Visiting Bubble Gum Alley won't be a life changing event, but it is a unique experience that you will never forget. If you are in San Luis Obispo and you've never seen this, it is worth taking a few minutes of your time to walk down the alley and check it out.

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bubblegum alley

Everyone loves bubblegum, right? Yes, yes, they do. Unless it’s someone else’s used gum that they accidentally touch on the underside of a school desk. Well, right in the middle of downtown SLO is this alleyway for pedestrians. The walls are covered with gum. If you look carefully, you’ll even see some pictures “drawn” and names “written” out amid the bulbous mess. I’ve heard that people have been sticking their chewed wads of gum on the walls since the 1960s. I’m not sure if it’s been scraped off at all or if the lower layers have merely disintegrated over time.

This place as it stands now won’t be around for much longer. The buildings have to be torn down and rebuilt because they aren’t earthquake-safe. However, the owners know that this place is one of tradition for both locals and visitors and will continue to allow people to chew away and affix their gum art again once it is rebuilt. Stop by while you’re at Farmer’s Market or shopping downtown and leave your mark on this historic site of chewy sticky icky ickiness. Or, bring a friend with you and then push them into the wall when they least suspect it!

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